Madrid is a very very cold place.... beware the service squad

Hello everyone! This week was a pretty dang cold one but we bought some winter gear recently and plan on putting it 100% to the test. (Shout out to John Graham who taught me since I was a wee lad to trust north face against the cold) but it was a pretty awesome week that's for sure. 

One of the coolest things we did this week was we went and sang in the biggest outdoor mall in Spain called Sol and we also sang in this other famous place called plaza mayor with some other missionaries in a Christmas choir. We got a ton of people to listen to us and really had an awesome opportunity to share the Christmas spirit and light the world doing that. I don't really know how my companion and I made the choir. We are kinda the least talented ones there but it's still awesome to sing Christmas songs about our savior super loud and proud. ( we know people). Another awesome thing we did this week was we drove an hour away to this members house and did some solid yard work with the young men in the ward. The family spoke English because the dad is from England. I'm now able to understand Spanish, Portuguese, Nigerian, English, and British! It was so awesome to get to work though and I felt right at home working in his yard. We also had some hardships and lost a really good investigator this week but it's all good because we also had the chance to go do baptisms for the dead in the temple with Jean Carlos! Such a sweet experience to be there with him and see him progress in the gospel! 

Other than that, life is all good and dandy here! I am really starting to stress out about the time here.... I'm going home so soon it's ridiculous! Possibly might have some transfer news pretty soon but no promises! I love you all and have read the emails and will be praying for those who asked this week! Love you! 

The sign says stay off the swings if you are older than 6 but didn't see it till after!

Elder Baron

Calle Fuerteventura 4, 2, Office 8B

28703 San Sebastian de los Reyes

Madrid

Spain

ILUMINA el Mundo! Light the world

Hey fam, 

I hope that everyone pushed it to the limit this week trying to serve other people for the light the world campaign! 

Things are cruising along over here in Barrio 8, but I feel the call of transfers coming soon.... I've been here for quite some time, so we will just have to wait and see what happens that is for sure. 

This week was super super awesome though! One of my favorite things that happened this week was we got three of our ward missionaries to participate in a lesson after correlation on Saturday! We found this awesome girl a couple of weeks ago and we have been pushing super hard to get her to church but she hasn't come yet. It was an incredible experience as we did less talking during this lesson and listened to all three of their testimonies. It totally helped our friend make it to church the next day too! She came and had an absolutely amazing experience. GUYS GO OUT WITH THE MISSIONARIES. THEIR INVESTIGATORS WILL PROGRESS MORE IF YOU HELP THEM! We had a very good number of people at church this week and it was perfect because it was stake conference and Elder Kearon from the 70 came! 

We had an amazing experience with Elder Patrick Kearon from the 70 this weekend that I would love to share. Over my mission, there have been several moments with the spirit that have been very eye opening. This past weekend I had one of them in our stake conference with Elder Kearon. He talked over and over about the atonement and how we need to use it in our lives, how everyone can use it no matter what they have done, and how it will work for everyone. One thing he said that I absolutely loved went something like this. When we tell ourselves that the Atonement can't help us due to what we have done, we are being completely arrogant. Jesus Christ suffered for ALL sins and is willing to take all those feelings away as we repent. I love this so much. Many times we feel so burdened down by our sins and we think there is no hope and no way back. That is never the case due to the infinite power of the atonement. Christ will always be there waiting for us with open arms to surround us with his love. Elder Kearon urged us to move on from sin, to be happy, and to stop worrying about yesterday's problems. Without the atonement, we would all be doomed with no chance for happiness. But there is an atonement, therefore fear not! 

Other than that, we made it onto the news after all for going to five guys, and we are alive so life is good ! 

Photos from a surprise birthday jam the members threw me

Elder Baron

Calle Fuerteventura 4, 2, Office 8B

28703 San Sebastian de los Reyes

Madrid

Spain